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Sunday, 7 May 2017

$1.3bn Malabu scam: EFCC raids Adoke’s brother’s house

The immediate past Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke (SAN), says operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission raided the home of his younger brother, Bashir, in Kogi State during the wee hours of Sunday.

The raid, it was learnt, was part of investigations into the $1.3bn oil deal involving Malabu Oil and Gas Limited and oil giant, Shell, which was brokered by Adoke in 2011 when he was the AGF.

Adoke said this in a statement by his spokesman, Victor Akhidenor.

The former AGF, however, stated that nothing was found during the raid which he described as illegal.

The senior advocate said the operatives of the anti-graft agency assaulted some occupants of the house when they did not find any dollars in the building.

The statement read in part, “The men who arrived Mr. Bello’s house at about 12 midnight in a Hilux van were dressed in black uniform. They did not present any search warrant and when the security man sought to know their mission, they stated that they were in search of money particularly dollars that have been hidden by Mohammed Bello Adoke.

“When the security insisted that the house was not occupied and that no such monies were kept there; they not only brutalized him, but proceeded to hack down the door, tore the place apart and searched virtually every nook and cranny of the house, destroying the furniture, the ceiling, wardrobes, water tank, etc.

“At the end, they left the premises infuriated that they did not find the dollars they were informed was hidden in the house.”

Operatives of the EFCC had last month raided the Kano home of Adoke but were said not to have recovered any money

Adoke, who has been in the Netherlands since 2015, said members of his family were being harassed by the EFCC.

He added, “This will be the second time that security personnel would be invading Mr. Adoke’s home. Last month, officials of the EFCC invaded Mr. Adoke’s family home in Kano in search of documents ostensibly to use to prosecute him.

“There appears to be no end to the level harassment, intimidation, and persecution that Adoke and his family will face at the hands of law enforcement personnel determined to unearth incriminating evidence against him.

“Adoke is apprehensive about his personal safety as well as that of his immediate family and calls on law enforcement personnel to guarantee the safety of his family especially now that he has become a target and subject of harassment, intimidation, and persecution from powerful families and aggrieved individual bent on settling scores with him on account of his refusal to allow his office as a minister in the government of the federation to be used to serve their personal interests.”

All attempts to speak with the EFCC spokesman, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, on Sunday proved abortive as his phone indicated that it was switched off.